English Fan Killed In Portugal

Sad, anyway.

It actually says that, on a big sign, on the border.

I thank you.

Portuguese police said the suspected robber was thought to be Ukrainian.

Mr Smith, from Wolverhampton, was taken to Sao Jose hospital in Lisbon where he was pronounced dead on arrival, Portuguese police said.

'Real dampener'

The killing, outside a bakery in Rua Augusta at 0400 BST, followed celebrations over England's 4-2 victory against Croatia on Monday night.

Superintendent Mick Treble, of West Midlands Police, revealed Mr Smith's identity on Tuesday afternoon after having talked to his parents.

"I must emphasise that this is not a football-related incident," he said, adding that a man was in custody following the stabbing and no further details could be given.

"This is a tragic incident in which a young man who was fulfilling his dream of travelling the world has died," he said.

A Foreign Office spokesman earlier said it had been "completely peaceful" overnight and there were no reported arrests of any England fans.

The 28-year-old was stabbed outside a bakery in Rua Augusta
A few England fans were milling around Rossio Square on Tuesday morning, with some visibly shocked by the killing.

Louis Calders of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, said: "I learned the news from my wife back in England and it's terrible. It puts a real dampener on things. The lad was only in his 20s."

Victim fell

Haskell Noah, 35, of Golders Green. north west London, said there were about 200 England fans outside bars in the Rua Augusta area when the stabbing took place.

He said: "This guy had been coming up and down for hours trying to take people's wallets and everyone was fed up with him."

There was no trouble at all, just a great atmosphere

Chris Torkington

Fans speak of their shock

Mr Noah said the man had gone away after being confronted by an England fan but had returned later and approached another table.

Mr Noah said he did not see the actual blow being struck but there was an immediate commotion and the stabbed fan fell to the ground.

"A girl was screaming and police came running across to arrest the attacker as he ran away."

"It's horrible to hear that the guy has died. That was such a terrible end to a fantastic evening."

Other fans spoke of the peaceful atmosphere between England and Croatian fans after the game.

"I'm shocked by this, it's really quite scary," Emily Orton, 27, from Exeter told BBC News Online.

"Everyone was just having such a good time, and now this has happened."

Attempted robbery

Chris Torkington from Cumbria said: "It's sadly ironic that this has happened because there was no trouble at all, just a great atmosphere."

BBC correspondent James Coomarasamy, in Lisbon, said Portuguese police believed the fan had been stabbed during an attempted robbery or pick-pocketing.

There was no evidence the death had followed any altercation between rival groups of fans in the city, our correspondent said.

He said the mood in Lisbon had seemed peaceful following the match.

Some fans had been celebrating in the central Rossio Square but most supporters were scattered around the city, he said.

Stephen, 28, of Wolverhampton, was stabbed while celebrating England's Euro 2004 win over Croatia in Lisbon early on Tuesday.

He would be "sadly missed" by everyone who knew him, his parents said.

Superintendent Mike Treble read out a statement from the family outside Wednesfield police station, near Wolverhampton.

World trip

In it, they said: "Stephen, or Ste, as everyone knew him, was a hard-working man who would help anyone.

"Many of his friends referred to him as 'Smiler'."

"Ste was well-loved and would help anyone. He was well-known locally and enjoyed life to the full."

We, as a family, are just glad Ste was living his dream when this tragedy happened

John and Diane Smith
Mr and Mrs Smith said Stephen had worked since he left Northicote School in Bushbury, Wolverhampton when he was 16.

He lived in the Low Hill area of Wolverhampton, had a brother, David, 23, and a young nephew, who he was said to have "doted on".

He was a qualified mechanic and for the last two years had built up his dream of travelling around the world.

He had set out to achieve this ambition in April, when he left Britain to work in France, before moving on to Spain and then Portugal, where he had tickets for some of the Euro 2004 matches.

He was then planning to go to Italy, Australia and would have ended his world trip in New York on New Year's Eve.

"We, as a family, are just glad Ste was living his dream when this tragedy happened," his parents said.